For days Judah had waited for Christmas to get here. After all, he was only three. I don’t think he really understood that falling snow didn’t necessarily mean Christmas was here and the arrival of Christmas didn’t automatically mean snow would start falling either! Still, Judah couldn’t wait for Christmas. Although he didn’t quite understand all Christmas was about yet, he did know that it gave him a warm and special feeling deep inside and all over whenever he thought about it - or whenever anyone mentioned snow!
On this particular day Judah was awakened early in the morning by his brother and sisters and their announcement that snow was falling! Snow! Judah couldn’t believe his ears! This was the moment he had been waiting for! As soon as he had looked out the window to verify this very important fact, he excitedly ran to the bedroom of his Mother and Father - and without even knocking he burst through the door with this news of news, “It’s Christmas! It’s Christmas, Mom! Dad, It’s Christmas! It’s snowing!”
Of course, Dad didn’t want to burst his bubble or quench his excitement over the snow, so he simply waited for a better opportunity to gently break the news to Judah that it wasn’t really Christmas yet. But as it turns out, his older brother and sisters took care of that problem for Dad. As soon as they realized what Judah was saying they firmly informed him that, yes, it was snowing, but, no, it was not Christmas. This made Judah very sad at first - but then he decided until he heard from a higher authority on the subject it was still Christmas as far as he was concerned. The only problem with this was that Christmas was still 20 days away - and 20 days can seem like an eternity to a little 3 year old boy.
Since all the children had roused him, Dad decided to get up and take the children sledding. This produced so much excitement in Judah’s heart that it only confirmed what he knew must be true - it had to be Christmas! Soon, Mom had all the children warmly bundled and Dad got them and the sleds loaded in the van. On the south side of Oklahoma City there just aren’t that many hills for sledding - and the drive-way didn’t provide all that thrilling a sled ride, so Dad took them to the flood control field which doubled as a soccer field in the summer. The banks which surrounded the fields were about 30 feet high. Thirty feet combined with a good slope provided a ride of about 200 feet - with a good push from Dad! So off to the field they went. And all the way there, Judah talked about how everything outside looked like Christmas.
Several other Dads and children were already sledding when they arrived. The children quickly unloaded and ran to the top of the hill. How exciting! In Judah’s eyes, this was a mountain. Even his sister Glory thought it looked like a mountain. Of course, they had to have Dad’s help in even climbing up the ‘mountain.’ Hannah, Israel, and Anne had already slidden down once by the time Dad, Judah, and Glory made it to the top! Mom had stayed home with Galen and Raina. Soon they were all speeding down the hill and running right back to the top as fast as they could. Several times Hannah went rolling off her sled as she crashed into the snow. Once, Israel even ran over Anne’s leg! And once, Dad had the bright idea of piling himself, Judah, Glory, and Hannah all on the sled with him. With this weight they had plenty of speed - but they also had a lack of proper balance. About half way down the hill they all crashed into the snow and went rolling the rest of the way down the hill. As the morning wore on, Judah’s laughter and fun soon turned to weariness and a cold nose! Dad knew it was time to go home when Judah and Glory said, “I’m not having fun!” Yes, Dad knew they had fun - but now the fun was over. As soon as Dad had swept the snow off them with the broom, they all loaded back into the van to warm up - and search for just the right Christmas tree.
The mention of a Christmas tree immediately brought warmth and brightness back into Judah’s eyes! The only problem was that Dad - having picked out a tree at the market - realized he had left his checkbook at home (can you believe this was written before we stopped writing checks for purchases?). This meant they would have to wait to get the tree at another time - and it also meant that Judah was once again not having too much fun. As far as he was concerned, things just weren’t working out quite right.
As is often the case when one has spent the day sledding and contemplating the numerous possibilities of Christmastime fun, Judah fell asleep soon after Mom unbundled him. There is no need telling you what Judah dreamed about. That’s right! Christmas! Only in his dreams it was Christmas all year round. His head was filled with the usual dreams of candy, gifts, and play that are associated with Christmas dreams - only in Judah’s dream Christmas was a year round affair complete with daily parades and unwrapping sessions! What made his dreams so special, though, was the fact that he got to be there with Mary and Joseph in Bethlehem on the night baby Jesus was born. He always sat right next to Joseph or on the back of a sheep or donkey so he could get a good glimpse of the sweet little baby. In Judah’s dream he was also with the wise men when they set out to follow the mysterious star in the western sky. How he loved those camel rides. He was also with the shepherds as they watched their flocks in the field. He so enjoyed the way the shepherds always jumped when the angel said, “Do not be afraid; for behold, I bring you good news of great joy which shall be for all people; for today in the city of David there has been born for you a Savior, Who is Christ the Lord. And this will be a sign for you: you will find a baby wrapped in swaddling clothes, and lying in a manger.” The sheep would run and bleat until the angel asked them to be quiet. One of Judah’s favorite parts of the dream was getting to fly with the angels and declare with them, “Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace among men with whom He is pleased.” After this declaration, Judah jumped on a sheep and rode him into Bethlehem as he followed the shepherd’s to see the new baby. In Judah’s dreams there was no telling what kind of animal you might find him riding - or just where he might wind up.
This is an excerpt from the Dennis Jernigan book. “A Christmas Dream”. Call 918-781-1200 to order your signed copy.